But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it would be meaningless]. Romans 11:6 (AMPC)
We’ve been on a series about a biblical response to mood disorders, and it’s important to know that we will struggle to overcome if we’re stuck in old covenant, law-based, legalistic thinking.
In the Old Testament, if you obeyed the law, you received good things from God. If you disobeyed, you had to deal with consequences from Him—punishment or the withholding of blessings. In fact, every promise in the Old Testament had conditions attached. IF you met the conditions, then you got the promise.
In the New Testament, we see a radically different agreement. This new covenant with God is through Christ. The essence of it is this: when we accept Christ, He qualifies us for every blessing and promise from God. We are qualified through Christ’s behaviour, not our own.
The trouble is, people still try to mix the old covenant and the new. They teach that if we do bad things, God is going to punish us, but this is not what we are taught in the New Testament. Under this new agreement, even when you do wrong, God is there for you. He’s empowering you to do better, and His love for you never diminishes.
The truth is, you don’t have to earn your right standing with God. Jesus already did! Every promise in the Bible is yours—promises of protection, health, and the ability to allow His joy and peace to reign in your heart—free gifts you were given in Christ that will help you to overcome!